Abstract : The thixoforging process is an innovative forming process for the manufacturing ofcomplex parts in the semi-solid state, in fewer forming steps and with a decreased formingforce. The objective of this work is to characterize the microstructure of different steel grades ateach step of the thixoforging process in order to better understand the influence of the processparameters and the mechanisms of deformation, as the microstructure of the material in thesemi-solid state, especially the volume fraction of liquid, is very important. Several 2D and 3Dtechniques (SEM-EDS analyses, CSLM, X-ray microtomography) have been used to evaluatethe liquid fraction of various steel grades (M2, C38LTT and 100Cr6). The results for M2 steelshow a good agreement between 2D SEM - EDS observations and 3D X-ray microtomographyafter quenching, which proves that both techniques are efficient in characterizing high-alloyedsteels in the semi-solid state. The CSLM technique is used to observe the microstructuredirectly at high temperature, with the apparition of liquid and the solidification. Thixoforgingexperiments are finally performed in order to study the influence of the process parameters onthe microstructure: the final part geometry, the material flow etc. After analyzing themicrostructure of the thixoforged parts, some mechanisms of material flow are proposed.Moreover, by comparing the results between the thixoforging experiments and the hot forgingsimulations, it is found that the material flow is very different from that of hot forging process,which results from the material behavior. The latter is very sensitive to the process parameters;an accurate process control is necessary.